Twelve years ago, the BusinessMirror began publication. Our founder, the late Ambassador Antonio L. Cabangon Chua, believed that there was room in the market—yes, “market”, as this is still a business venture—for another newspaper.
We are somewhat unique in not having been born from the political landscape of either before the Edsa Revolution or in its aftermath, or created with a particular political partiality. Ambassador Cabangon Chua made a specific and conscious decision from day one that the BusinessMirror would present the news without a political color—pun intended.
However, that does not give us any special moral or ethical journalistic high ground. The whole purpose behind “freedom of the press” was to allow anyone with pen and paper to champion any viewpoint that they wished and let the people decide in their minds what was right and wrong. Likewise, this freedom allowed newspapers to slant or not to slant their news coverage any way they wanted to and, while annoying at times, it is vital in a free nation.
Yet, if you read the opinions of our own columnists, within the boundaries of good taste, anything goes, and that is also vital for a free press and a free nation. All political and social-issue viewpoints are welcomed and encouraged on these pages to advance sensible discussion.
The recent Senate hearings supposedly on the issue of “fake news” was actually part of the continuing controversy between what some would like to frame as “traditional” versus “new” media. We find that a false argument because it still comes down to what it has for hundreds of years – one pen on one piece of paper—whether delivered by the Internet or the printed page.
In fact, freedom of the press has never in history been more accessible because of the Internet.
One critical difference between the so-called traditional and new media is when you read the opinions of any of the columnists in any of the 15 or more major Philippine broadsheets and tabloids: You see their name, and probably their picture. That is not true for the bloggers.
The discussion between “real” journalists and bloggers has included the idea that bloggers do not have accountability to an editor or publisher. That may or may not be important. However, hiding behind anonymity is important. Of course, it is anyone’s right to be anonymous. But to claim that their identity must be hidden to protect themselves from government suppression or personal attacks from the public is a feeble argument.
Traditional opinion writers never hide. On February 24, 2006, the Daily Tribune was raided by the Philippine National Police at the height of the State of Emergency imposed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. The police remained in the paper’s office until the State of Emergency was lifted. The paper continued to publish normally, making defiant statements throughout that government occupation.
If you think that traditional opinion writers are not subject to personal and sometimes vile attacks, you have obviously never read the “comments” left behind on every Philippine newspaper’s web site.
Real journalists are willing to risk even life and limb to stand in front of their opinion, not hidden behind in the shadows wearing the mask of a false name and a fake identity.
Maybe these anonymous bloggers are not brave enough to publically claim their opinions. Or, perhaps, these are people whose publically stated views are not what they really believe and what they post on the Internet. United States President Harry S. Truman was fond of saying, “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen”.
2 comments
was here Oct. 16, 2017 Mon
muddled editorial. shallow